Saturday, September 22, 2012
Associated Press
In a now familiar global ritual, Apple fans jammed shops across the globe to pick up the tech juggernaut’s latest iPhone.
Eager buyers formed long lines Friday at Apple Inc. stores in Asia, Europe and North America to be the first to get their hands on the latest version of the smartphone.
In New York, several hundred people lined up outside Apple’s Fifth Avenue store. Jimmy Peralta, a 30-year-old business-management student, waited three hours before getting the chance to buy his new gadget. Was it worth the wait?
“Definitely,” he said, noting that the new phone’s larger screen and lighter weight compelled him to upgrade from the iPhone 4. “A little treat for me on a Friday morning; why not? Why not be part of something fantastic? It’s just such a smart phone, it does all the thinking for you. You can’t get any easier than that.”
Apple’s stock closed up $1.39, or 0.2 percent, at $700.09. The stock surpassed the $700 level for the first time earlier this week, as excitement for the launch mounted.
For Apple, the iPhone introduction is the biggest revenue driver of the year. Analysts expect the company to sell millions of phones in the first few days. This spring, iPhone sales slowed down from their historical growth rates, apparently because potential buyers were holding off for the arrival of the “5.”